A SIMPLE SQUARE

Thata hosts one of my very favorite blogs. She is SOOOO creative and is a prolific crocheter, despite having a family and job outside the home. She recently posted a ‘simple’ square of her own design. This square is so pretty and gives me many ideas to use it. Here’s the square:

With this single square as a motif, you could make a shawl, a bedspread, a tablecloth, a sweater or blouse, or a scarf. I love both its simplicity and its flexibility.

Thata is a fine example of a true crochet artist. I have been thinking a lot lately about the difference between ‘art’ and ‘craft’. One difference might be that a crafts person will take a pattern and make a lovely item using it. An artist will create his or her own design or use an existing pattern design as a jumping off place – a point of inspiration – to create something unique. I think Thata is an artist. There are plenty of other crochet artists out there. I like to think I’m one of them – but that’s based mostly on the fact that I use a pattern as a suggestion of how to create something rather than as a document written in stone. I’m more of a crafter than a crochet artist.

In the Sept. 06 issue of CROCHET! there is a pattern for crocheted heirloom baby blanket. It is a truly unique, personalized item with family history information crocheted into it. My grandmothers, address of home where I grew up, my siblings, my pets’ name, and a lot more family tree info is crocheted into this. My nephew has it and is the process of making it a wall hanging to pass to his son.